


I'll Be with You, Always

by DragonGirl218



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, Other Characters Briefly Mentioned - Freeform, Promdyn, implied happy relationship, it is both pain and fluff, sadfic, yescon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 15:52:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13368027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonGirl218/pseuds/DragonGirl218
Summary: The culmination of Ardyn and Prompto's relationship, a time of sorrow and remembrance.  Their last day together.  Their last day on Eos.





	I'll Be with You, Always

**Author's Note:**

> I cried at least five times writing this.  
> You've been warned.

_ “I love you, my Dearest.  I’ll stay with you for the rest of your life.” _

_ “Ardyn, you’ve already suffered for so long.  You don’t have to… to put off death for me.” _

_ “But I want to.  And I will.  I promise.” _

~~~~~

The world of Eos was at peace.  The Scourge had disappeared overnight, without ever losing the sun.  Lucis, particularly Insomnia, had rebuilt.  Altissia had never been destroyed.  The Empire had disbanded, so now Tenebrae and Niflheim were merely neighboring countries where natural resources and manufactured goods were traded amicably.  War was becoming a distant memory as those who had lived through the last one were dying off one by one as age took its toll.

A toll that would only rise as time went on.

~~~~~

Out in the Tenebraean countryside, surrounded by nothing but greenery, wildlife, and the occasional stream, sat a cozy cottage.  It wasn’t necessarily small, but it was rustic and far from some grand vacation lodge that one might expect of nobility.  It was also well-hidden from the public, many miles away from the nearest village.  Perfect for the two men who inhabited it.

This was the home of Prompto Argentum, former traveling companion of King Noctis Lucis Caelum, and his long-time partner Ardyn Lucis Caelum, the Accursed and carrier of the Scourge.  Many decades ago Prompto had convinced Ardyn to work with the others in an attempt to find a better way to rid Eos of the Scourge.  It had resulted in a grand adventure, culminating in Ardyn absorbing every last trace of the Scourge into himself, while the powers of the Oracle, the True King, the Lucii, all six Astrals, and the Crystal coalesced into a divine tool of light.

But the days of adventuring were long behind those two.  Ardyn had dealt with more than enough wandering during his long existence, and Prompto… well.  Prompto was getting old.  Was  **already** old.

Prompto laid in bed as Ardyn sat in a chair beside him.  His thin, frail hand was held delicately between Ardyn’s own as faint gold light radiated from the contact.  After several minutes of intense concentration Ardyn sighed heavily and the light faded.

“...I’m sorry, my Beloved.  This is… your last day,” the immortal said quietly.  He did his best to keep his tone neutral, calling upon all his many years of deceit, but he couldn’t hold back the quaver in his voice.

Prompto chuckled softly and moved his other hand to rest atop Ardyn’s.  “I can’t say I’m surprised,” he replied, doing his best to sound cheerful despite how weak he was.  “We both knew this was coming.”

“I know. It doesn’t make it any easier, however.”  Ardyn gently moved Prompto’s hands to rest on his chest, and then he brought a hand up to softly stroke the once-blond’s cheek.  “To be honest, I  _ am _ somewhat surprised you lasted this long, given your origins.  Between the deterioration of the source DNA over time and the limited amount of magitek energy you were exposed to, I had thought…”  He trailed off, then smirked a little.  “Though, I do suppose I had never seen any test subjects actually mature naturally, so at least this was insightful~”

Prompto laughed.  He’d long gotten over his hang-ups about his origins, and with no MTs still functional to bring up bad memories he was able to joke about the whole situation.  “Or maybe it’s because you’ve taken care of me so well~” he countered fondly.  “Healing every wound and illness down to the smallest papercut.  And now, these past few years, helping me eat and move around… watching over me every night in case I needed you…”  He started to tear up and smiled with as much warmth as his thin, wrinkled lips could manage.  “You really are the best, my Love.”

Ardyn swallowed heavily.  Though he couldn’t cry due to his condition, it was obvious he’d be tearing up if it was possible.  “Only because of you, my Beloved.  I had lost myself to the darkness so very long ago, and yet it was as if you saw my true self from the moment we first met.  I’ll never understand how you did it, but I owe you more than you can imagine,” he said as he gently brushed a few wispy strands of white hair out of Prompto’s face.

“In that case, can I… cash in on that debt you owe me?” he asked with a warm, if faint, smile

“Of course, Dearest,” he replied immediately.  There was nothing Ardyn could ever deny him, least of all with his time drawing to a close.

“Hold me close.  Please.  If I’m going to die, I want to be close to you when it happens.”

Ardyn choked at the request.  Something so simple, and it would likely be Prompto’s last wish…  He nodded and gently scooped his beloved into his arms, held him close, and kissed the top of his head.

“Thank you, Ardyn.”  He reached up and gently pulled Ardyn in for a kiss.  It was a short and feeble affair, yet it held the culmination of all the love, devotion, and gratitude Prompto felt for his beloved Healer.  He pulled away with a cough and rested his head against Ardyn’s chest so he could listen to the man’s heartbeat, strong and steady as always.

Ardyn stared at him for a long while, taking in Prompto’s peaceful form for one of the last times.  “You truly are the most precious creature I have ever met in all my years,” he murmured affectionately.  “I love you, more than anything.”

Prompto chuckled softly, his strength rapidly waning.  “And I love you with all my heart, Savior of Eos, Ardyn Lucis Caelum.  I’ve never loved anyone more.”

Ardyn felt tears soak through his shirt and he hugged Prompto closer reflexively.  Their time together was growing shorter by the moment and there was so much he still wanted to say, but for once his skill with words was failing him.  Instead, he resorted to an old song, one he had used to help Prompto sleep at times when he was having a restless night.

“ _ You are my sunshine, my only sunshine _ ”

Ardyn took Prompto’s hand in his and lightly squeezed, and Prompto held his hand with as much strength as he could muster.

“ _ You make me happy, when skies are grey _ ”

Prompto nuzzled his head into Ardyn’s chest and closed his eyes.

“ _ You’ll never know dear, how much I love you _ ”

His grip weakened and his breathing grew faint.

“ _ So please don’t take _ ”

His hand fell and his body went limp.

“ _ My sunshine _ ”

His breathing stopped all together.

“A… way…”  Ardyn’s voice cracked as the reality of the situation hit him.  He pulled Prompto’s body close and nuzzled into his chest, to feel the last fleeting traces of warmth from his beloved.  Hours passed before he finally pulled away and gently placed the body back on the bed, tucked in as if Prompto were merely sleeping, and he gave one last kiss.  He knew his dearest was resting peacefully.  Knew his soul had made it to the Afterlife, free to spend the rest of eternity happily with friends and family.

And he knew he’d never be able to join him.

His soul had been host to untold numbers of daemons for centuries, and even more since he had taken on the full burden of the Scourge.  Whatever had been left was given wholly to Prompto, to love him as he deserved, and without his Sunshine, Ardyn felt tired in a way that could only mean his very being was burnt out.

“It is time, then,” he whispered to himself as he materialized a crystalline weapon out of his Armiger.  Not one of the Royal Arms, nor even one of his personal weapons; no, this dagger was made of pure, shining crystal -- The Crystal, in fact -- infused with the powers of Gods and Kings, to be used for this exact purpose.  For the eradication of the Scourge, and the ending of Ardyn’s life.

He stared at the weapon, trying not to think how much it reminded him of Prompto’s light and purity.  Instead, he smirked, one final show of stubborness despite his nearing demise.

“At last, some rest for these weary bones…”

Without further ado, he thrust the dagger into his own heart, and he saw the weapon shine brightly as the magic took its toll, burning him from the inside out as it destroyed the Scourge.  As he began to lose consciousness, he looked back at his life, and as long as painful as it had been… he managed a smile as he decided that his time with Prompto had made it all worth it, in the end.

~~~~~

After what felt like an eternity, he realized he was laying down.  On… grass?  Yes, grass, his fingers confirmed that.  Honey-gold eyes slowly opened, only to be screwed shut as bright sunlight shone on them.  His next option was to push himself up to a sitting position, and he noted that he felt incredibly weak… yet also unbelievably light.  As if he were free of a weight.

The daemons?

He paused and focused on himself and noted their absence.  And he seemed to be somewhere.  Did the Gods wish to taunt him, bringing him to life one more time…?

Before he could focus enough to think that through, he noticed someone step in front of him, and saw a pale, black-gloved hand reach into his line of sight.

“See?  I knew you still had a soul~”

Ardyn’s head shot up as he heard that familiar voice, now so young and full of life again.  It was Prompto, as he’d been when they first met, with that infectious smile that had so often helped him through his toughest times.  He stared for a long, long time, until his composure broke.

For the first time in over two thousand years, Ardyn cried.  Not the elegant affair one might expect of him; no, it was as if all those years of accumulated tears finally broke free.  His body shook amongst wailing sobs.

He had died.

And been reunited with his Sunshine, against all odds and expectations.

Prompto smiled gently as he knelt in front of Ardyn and pulled him into a tight embrace.  “It’s okay Ardyn.  Take your time.”  He kissed the man’s cheek and ran a hand through his hair.  “We have the rest of eternity, after all.”


End file.
